Drinking one glass or more of 100% fruit juice each day is associated with weight gain in children and adults, according to a new analysis of 42 previous studies.

The research, published Tuesday in JAMA Pediatrics, found a positive association between drinking 100% fruit juice and BMI — a calculation that takes into account weight and height — among kids. It also found an association between daily consumption of 100% fruit juice with weight gain among adults.

100% fruit juice was defined as fruit juices with no added sugar.

  • Dark Arc
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    010 months ago

    No, the weight gain is from the juice being high in sugar (like a fruit) without fiber (which a fruit has).

    You’re basically drinking sugar and there’s nothing to slow down your metabolism or fill you up, so you take in too much sugar.

    In theory if you mixed it with something fibrous like oats (that don’t have their own sweatener) maybe you end up in a better place (if you drink less juice and you eat/drink less caloric beverages/food throughout your day – i…e you trade bland oats and orange juice for a hamburger).

    In general, adding things to your diet doesn’t help unless you’re also removing something (e.g., adding smoothies is great! … but not if you’re still having the hamburger and now also a smoothie vs water).

    • @Guest_User
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      210 months ago

      That seems like exactly what they said. 100 calories of fruit or fruit juice is the same in one sense. However, the fiber in the fruit makes you feel more full so you may not eat more. Being more hungry with the fruit juice could potentially make you eat more.

      • @Mr_Blott
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        110 months ago

        Yeah I drink fruit juice for breakfast but never on its own. The article is skewed I think

      • Dark Arc
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        10 months ago

        Hm… I think I misread/misinterpretted.

        I’d still caution against the idea of eating something “bad” but making it “good” by pairing it with something “good.” That’s a seemingly common slippery slope.